January Favourites

 Kiehl's Ultra Facial Set  My skin is on the dry, sensitive side. I've had/still have (frustrating) experiences with eczema and rosacea, so I'm very cautious with the products I put on my skin. Keihl's has really lived up to it's bestseller name - these three have been working wondrously on my skin. The facial cleanser, with its creamy texture and a pearl-like colour, foams and lathers well. It leaves my skin feeling clean without feeling taught. Ever since having a derma-specialist comment that my skin was super dehydrated, I've been bent on trying to quench its thirst. Luckily, Kiehl's comes highly recommended, so it was easy to know where to go from there.  I haven't tried the line on myself twice a day, but it definitely seems gentle enough for morning and nighttime use. The toner is milky, so again, very gentle. The cream has a more watery-like texture (not runny, but nothing like a thick night cream). Everything is fragrance-free and inexpensive as far as skin solutions go. Officially one of my favourite trios. ~$25 cleanser, ~$22 toner, ~$56 cream

The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Exfoliator  I've stayed away from harsh exfoliators, with beads and nut shells in them, for fear of going too far. Chemical exfoliators with lactic acid have been a good alternative, but I've found that they can easily dry out my skin and bring back patches of eczema here and there. This exfoliator does the trick. I can exfoliate every day without worry. Fragrance-free as well. $14.50

Vaseline Cocoa Radiant Moisturiser  I had a craving for chocolate that I couldn't avoid. This happened. Just love warm scents in winter. ~$8

Batiste Dry Shampoo  I swore off dry shampoo after my Dove experience, but ladies, I've found one that works! Baby powder helps absorb oil, but I have a bigger problem with just having limp hair after a day of not washing. Batiste helped bring back the clean feeling and puff up my hair enough to give me my confidence back. It will leave a white residue, but it goes away right after a comb out. Fresh hair all day after that. Smells citrus-y, but they also have a tropical version if you're into that. ~$8

Make-up and Minis

Pecksniff's Calm Hand & Body Moisturiser  Since my last trip to Europe, I've been in love with this hand cream. It smells like ginger, which I've learned can be a hit or a miss depending on the person. I personally love the smell because it's so refreshing from the normal perfumed, overly cake-smelling, hand cream. Don't get me wrong, I like cake too. But imagine what a ginger souffle might smell like. This is that. I would recommend Origin's Ginger Souffle Cream for anyone that can't find this particular brand.

Purell Hand Sanitizer  I've had a persistent cold for the entire of January. For fear of getting even worse, and infecting everyone else, this is a staple of my purse and desk. It's a cheap, but no less significant piece of my arsenal. ~$1

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 in Mango  Thank the lord for this product. I've tried Carmex, Burt's Bees, Blistex, and Vaseline in combination with huge intakes of water and yet still, my lips remain chapped and ugly and blistered and hurting. This lip balm is about the only thing right now that doesn't irritate my lipline and cause worse chapping. I can't say that my lips are forever smooth even though I'm using this, but it definitely helps. I think once this cold weather dies down, I will have no problems. ~$8

Revlon Photoready Concealer  If you read my previous posts, you may know that I swore by Bobbi Brown's concealer. That said, I was convinced that there was a drugstore substitute, so I picked up my shade from Revlon and voila! I have a new favourite. It's thick in texture, but glides on really well with the twist-up stick. I really appreciate the fact that it doesn't require extra tools for a perfect application. Just swipe, and pat with a clean finger to blend in. Even without setting powder, it doesn't crease very much. Excellent coverage for dark circles. Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a beginner concealer or just an inexpensive one! ~$13

MAC Perfect Topping Skin Finish  I won't lie. I dug this one out of my make-up bag after a long hiatus. When I first purchased it, I found that it gave me more of a silver-y glow as opposed to a golden one. I usually prefer golden highlighters, but this looks really great in the winter time. Freshens your whole face without looking too silver. I wish I could tell you how much it costs, but I honestly don't remember. I guess what you can take away from this, if not that you want to purchase this item in particular, is that you shouldn't be afraid to try a silver-y highlighter this season. Gold highlighters look great with a bronzed look, but I've found that if you want to go for ``youthful, fresh and healthy,`` a silvery-pink highlighter goes a long way.